Truck Driving Jobs

NOTR · Joined: 10 Nov 2005 Posts: 16

Alrite, Finally got my CDL-A last week with the help of my dad and my uncle(dad's brother). Both(D & A) long OTR drivers with experiances' varrying from 25-30years. Dad likes manual transmission and have driven the same forever just for an occasion drove an Freightliner-Columbia-Autoshift CAT but used it manually.(lol) My uncle on the other hand swichted to Autoshift/Ultrashift past 4years and don't wanna move back to changing gears with the big lever and left leg(clutch).

During my training session I drove with my dad on his Freightliner-Cat-435-8spd in April hauling 30-40klbs on West Coast-I-15 from Seattle to Sacramento. Hate to tell you the truth but changing gears was a nightmare until my uncle took me with him for a trip to Detroit via-I-90 begining of May. He's got Freightliner-Columbia-Mercedes-450-Autoshift and everything felt natural thereafter. I would never want to go back shifting gears with palm instead of index finger.

They both are still company drivers and we are now looking forward to own a truck or two and open up our company. I'm not instresting in investing a dime over $50,000/-(50k) and I'm ready to compromise on miles on the truck. I wanna stick to freightliner with CAT or MERCEDES. My dad every passing second recommends manual and insists on sticking with the big lever. Whereas having experianced the easyness and comfort of driving an Autoshift through bizi Seattle-Minneapolis-Chicago-Detroit downtown buying a manual gear box doesn't make sense to me.(Not to forget this was my first time ever driving anything bigger than my Mustang.)

My confussion is should I buy an auto-transm or manual one keeping the fact handy about re-sale. On the one side I've experiance of my dad's 30years and on the other 25years of my uncle's who preffers automatic all the way. Remembering the fact I'm only 26years old and have to give respect to both of the elders likings. What should I start of with? Auto or Manual?

Any recommendation from fellow drivers would highly appriacted.

God bless ya ALL.

marylandkw · Joined: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 509 Location: Maryland

I would suggest a manual Transmission.

I know the auto shifts are great but it is just one more component to worry about breaking.

After a few weeks in the manual you will not even notice or even think about shifting gears, it just comes natural.

FWIW... MY OPINION, an 8 speed box on the highway...not so great. I am rather addicted to a nice 18 speed myself. And don't let it scare you, it's just another transmission, and with enough time you will not even think about it.

warsaw · Joined: 17 Sep 2004 Posts: 391 Location: Warsaw Ohio

Ive never had the chance to drive an automatic truck..Id like to try it out though

ken_o · Joined: 06 Nov 2005 Posts: 667

my advice to you is to spend alot more time in both and decide for yourself. im sure any sane person with no ego problems who had the choice would pick the automated manual the newer version ultra shift even takes over the clutch work. at least you have a choice most of us r stuck with shifting manuals., then everytime we get stuck in a traffic jam we think to ourselves damm wish i had an autoshift.

Bush Bunny · Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Posts: 1528

I have no desire to ever drive an automatic in a truck. Been clutching for 24 years what's another 15 to 20. :wink:

HorsePower · Joined: 26 Apr 2006 Posts: 351 Location: Midwest

aren't automatics also more expensive?

TIM · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 247

Quote: aren't automatics also more expensive?

Probably so new as always but my mind was working on kickin tires and trying to get a deduct on a used one . I dunno though. Id sure try though.

Tim

rubberducky · Joined: 09 Jun 2005 Posts: 212

my company has manual and automatic trucks. I have driven both. Our automatic trucks still use a clutch. Our trucks with auto's can creep along just like the manual trucks. Maybe it's the clutchless auto's that are a pain?

My vote is for the automatic but yes get some time in the manual trans first.

ken_o · Joined: 06 Nov 2005 Posts: 667

both e f automated manuals have clutches with the newer version taking the task of depressing it to start and stop out of your hands if you want to ride the clutch i guess youll have to get the standard auto shift. anyone who thinks a new driver schould be in a manual, needs to consider this from a saftey perspective, it is and always will be safer to focus on whats aroud you not worrying about this shift and that one downshifting etc..& so forth.
iv only driven the reg version of the autoshift 4 years ago and still miss it
i would definetly like to try the newer ultrashift

Paystar_5000 · Joined: 16 Sep 2005 Posts: 79 Location: Hobbs, New Mexico

allison autos are great Ive driven dumptrucks with them and one big volvo vaccum truck... pulling units use allisons and they weigh about 100,000pounds so they hold up pretty good to tote them around.

NOTR · Joined: 10 Nov 2005 Posts: 16

[quote="Lady North"]
As for you starting your trucking company on your one week old class a license, you don't even know the can you just opened up on this forum. lol[/quote]

Thank you for your comments and suggestion. Yes, I would love to drive a manual but getting use to the 53' first is my main criteria.

As far as the company goes, I'll be using the help of my dad and uncle who have combined experiance of over 50years. No way I would jump onto to be an O/O. :wink:

NOTR · Joined: 10 Nov 2005 Posts: 16

[quote="ken_o"]im sure any sane person with no ego problems who had the choice would pick the automated manual the newer version ultra shift even takes over the clutch work. [/quote]

Yep, traffic jams are a pain in the $$$. Mr. Ken says the best "Damm wish I had an autoshift" sums up my terror. :D

NOTR · Joined: 10 Nov 2005 Posts: 16

[quote="ken_o"]both e f automated manuals have clutches with the newer version taking the task of depressing it to start and stop out of your hands if you want to ride the clutch i guess youll have to get the standard auto shift. anyone who thinks a new driver schould be in a manual, needs to consider this from a saftey perspective, it is and always will be safer to focus on whats aroud you not worrying about this shift and that one downshifting etc..& so forth.
iv only driven the reg version of the autoshift 4 years ago and still miss it
i would definetly like to try the newer ultrashift[/quote]

SAFETY yes, thats was the whole point I was looking for. Being a newbie and had never driven a clutch vehicle on top manual-stick-shift sums up all.

I would love to buy an automatic transmission. But I'm still open to all fellow drivers suggestions. Keep'em rolling please.

Regards to ALL.

Gorrillasnot · Joined: 28 Nov 2005 Posts: 186 Location: Indiana

You said you've already hauled in Pop's manual, so you probably have a pretty good idea on how to shift. Most drivers eventually learn to float the gears (shift without using the clutch), so unless your in a traffic jam or something where your stopping and starting often, a manual isn't really that much extra work. I mean how hard is it to move a lever a few times?

To me shifting is part of the enjoyment of the job. On the other hand when I've got a little more time under my belt the novelty of it all just might wear off and an auto shift may be more appealing.

Anyway my suggestion is to learn on the manual so as to not limit yourself.

60363 · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 9:42 pm Post subject:

When I started with my current company in August 2005, they gave me a 1999 Volvo with a 10 speed Rockwell. I found that it shifted better/easier than an Eaton (no idea why; but I drove trucks with manual Eatons before). As a highway driver I spend most of the time cruising on the highway, with the cruise control on; so the manual is okay. Where you have to "work it" is on hills (when the engine bogs down and you need to downshift) and in big cities - in traffic. That's why you see big trucks crawling slowly in jams - drivers don't want to shift every single minute!

My second/current truck is a 2005 Freightliner Columbia with a Mercedes engine and a 10-speed SmartShift. There's no clutch. It's naturally much easier to drive, especially on hills: with the cruise control on, the tranny switches itself to the proper gear by itself. However, when I drive in heavy traffic - the auto can be quite annoying. First of all, it doesn't allow me to go from 2nd to 3rd below 1500 rpm (with a manual I can shift at 750 rpm); and then when you slow down the engine revs itself up all the time... I try to change to semi-auto mode ocassionally, but it's not much better...

Some other problems with automatics: if you have an engine brake on, and you stop - let's say - on a red light somewhere, the tranny will not upshift properly. It'll rev up to 1800 rpm, and then - after a few agonizingly loud moments it'll finally shift itself into ... a 3rd.

I think the problem is there's just too much torque in the diesel engine (unlike in a car), and that what causes problems. It'll take years before auto trannies in trucks will work as flawlessly as in cars.

Sometimes, after you shift (and the gear number is seen on the display, which means you're in gear), nothing happens - you push gas ... and then the truck lunges forward. The same thing happens when you try to back up: it's either stopped or goes too fast.

So, basically it's been my experience that auto trannies give you LESS control of the truck. They are good for city trucks - for someone who deals with heavy traffic all the time... I think highway drivers can be okay with a standard...

Another thing.. if you get a used truck with an automatic, and it breaks down, it may cost much more to fix the tranny. Standards are easier to fix.

Truck Driving Jobs

Trucking Jobs

Truck Drivers

Trucking Companies

Class A Drivers.com